At 1:01 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on December 11, 1999, computer systems all around the globe freeze for twenty seconds, then return to normal. Susan Garnett, a senior analyst at the FBI’s high-tech crime unit, discovers that the virus is counting down to the year 2000, when the world’s computers will be most vulnerable. Susan traces the virus’ signal to a surprising point of origin: an area near Tikal, the site of one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya. With Cameron Slater, an anthropologist, she travels to the remote jungle, where they must draw on their combined knowledge of ancient glyphs and modern algorithms to crack a code hidden in a formidable computer virus. They are convinced that if they fail to solve the riddles both ancient and new before the turn of the new millennium, the virus could trigger a powerful event of global proportions.

Summary

Summary

At 1:01 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on December 11, 1999, computer systems all around the globe freeze for twenty seconds, then return to normal. Susan Garnett, a senior analyst at the FBI’s high-tech crime unit, discovers that the virus is counting down to the year 2000, when the world’s computers will be most vulnerable. Susan traces the virus’ signal to a surprising point of origin: an area near Tikal, the site of one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya. With Cameron Slater, an anthropologist, she travels to the remote jungle, where they must draw on their combined knowledge of ancient glyphs and modern algorithms to crack a code hidden in a formidable computer virus. They are convinced that if they fail to solve the riddles both ancient and new before the turn of the new millennium, the virus could trigger a powerful event of global proportions.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“Pineiro’s enticing new novel [is] almost guaranteed to add more paranoia to the lives of the paranoid, yet, finally, to offer hope as well…Paced at a steady rhythm, the narrative oscillates between the technical and the poetic.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Smart, well executed, and colorful, with engaging characters and (mostly) vivid dialogue…Pineiro has created something genuinely original and thoroughly entertaining.” —Booklist

“A fast and diverting read…something to keep you busy while waiting for the millennium ball to drop.”
—New York Times Book Review

“A computer thriller with a mystical climax not so far from Jodie Foster's mind-altering trip in Contact…Pineiro takes us on a fancy head-trip with plenty of computer fun and thrills along the way.” —Kirkus Reviews

Reviews

Reviews

Author

Author Bio: R. J. Pineiro

R. J. Pineiro, the author of several novels, is a computer engineer, amateur pilot, martial arts black belt, certified scuba diver, and he has traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, and the Americas, especially Central America, both for his computer business as well as to conduct research for his novels. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Lory Anne, and son, Cameron.

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